EU takes next step towards Russia Ukraine sanctions
Russia - EU
(BRUSSELS) - The European Union on Friday took the next step towards imposing tougher sanctions on Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis by agreeing the legal basis for widening its list of targets.
The 28 EU leaders agreed to additional steps, including punishing Russian firms, at a summit on Wednesday after Moscow failed to halt its alleged support for pro-Kremlin rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian foreign ministry accused the EU of submitting to "blackmail from the American administration" and said Brussels should have "its own voice".
The sanctions are the first direct swipes at the Russian economy's finance, military and energy sectors, further escalating the worst stand-off between the Kremlin and the West since the Cold War.
They target both individuals and firms providing material or financial support to efforts to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty as well as to those responsible for the annexation of Crimea or the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine.
A statement Friday said officials had agreed the legal basis for such action, clearing the way to draw up a list of new sanction targets by the end of July.
The EU has so far hit 72 Ukraine and Russian figures with travel bans and asset freezes but divisions over how far to go given some member states' close economic ties with Russia has left Brussels trailing Washington which wants the bloc to do much more.
Special meeting of the European Council 16 July 2014 ‒ Conclusions
EU takes next step....
Come on EU.
Stop waddling like a mallard in the mud.
What other proof are you waiting for?
President Obama told the world that MH17 was shot down by a powerful missile that only the russian troops or the russian terrorists in Ukraine possessed.
Not even a crow flies over russia that US satellites
don't know about and where and exactly when.
Is it not enough for you to name russia as a "terrorist state" and freeze all your dealings with the bastards?
I suppose booby merkel is the stumbling block in that.
Having been a spetsnaz in east germany fo most of her life she was used to the communist russian member buried half way up in the naked german buns!!!
She firmly established with the rus-putin day after the russians annexed crimea that she was loyal to mother russia and please please do not cut-off the natural gas supplies, and we have 250,000 ruskies in germany, if you ever decide to annex east germay again we will not fight you, just don't cut-off the gas flow.
Well, with all the kraut influence in the EU one should not expect a firm and definitive "fuck you putin, earn up to your terrorist (formerly comminist) character or we will freeze you just like a siberian winter. See if you can survive in that hell or learn to be a world citizen like right now".
No frigging wonder that her and german governments communications are under scrutiny. Koodos to CIA.
I hate to sound cliche but I can't help but reiterate that "with friends like germans who needs enemies"!!!!